Arctic Orc
Arctic Races Your campaign might be set in a snow-swept expanse of glaciers, mountains, and icy seas. Settlements cluster around sources of heat, including hot springs and volcanic vents. Frozen in the ice are relics of a forgotten, warmer time. Strange creatures descend from the glaciers, wreaking havoc and drawing adventurers like beacons. Players wanting their characters to be nonhuman arctic dwellers can build characters using these variants, or their characters could encounter these races while journeying across the ice and snow. The following cultural attributes are common to most arctic races. Personality Nearly all ice dwellers are more grim and humorless than members of their standard races. Efficiency in word and deed is crucial to survival in the harsh arctic realms, so arctic creatures tend to get straight to the point in conversation, and they have little patience for those who speak in riddles or half truths. Because they must struggle for even the most basic existence in the severe climate of the arctic regions, excess of any kind is offensive to them. Thus, they tend to be frugal and to value hard work for the benefit of all over individual accomplishment. Physical Description An ice dweller is hardier than a member of his standard race, and he tends to carry extra weight on his frame even when in exceptional physical condition. His skin can be any shade from pale white to light blue, and his hair and eyes can be of any color found among members of his standard race. Arctic creatures wear many layers of clothing as protection against the intense cold of their homeland. They do not particularly value jewelry or other ornamentation, and they carry only what they need to survive, Relations Those who spend their lives in the bleak and comfortless arctic regions treat outsiders with guarded wariness, if not outright distrust. Though members of most arctic tribes are willing to welcome strangers in from the cold, they tend to watch such newcomers very closely and hurry them on their way as soon as possible. Of course, a stranger with a particularly useful skill may be invited to stay—it is difficult to turn away a strong back or a skilled toolmaker in the desolate and frigid lands where the arctic races make their homes. In addition to their particular distrust of outsiders, members of arctic races tend to harbor many of the same prejudices held by their standard races. Alignment Arctic races are generally inclined toward the alignment preferences of their standard races. Lands It is difficult for any living thing to survive in the frozen wastelands where arctic races live. Thus, most other races know little or nothing of their arctic cousins, and what they do know is often tainted by legend and hearsay. Most arctic creatures make their homes in ice caves or beneath the ground, although some tribes have adapted to life on the surface by building ice houses and other structures that can survive fierce winter storms. Religion Arctic races worship deities typical of their standard races. Adventurers Ice dwellers must exert themselves merely to survive in the bitter climate of their homelands, so they tend to make ideal adventurers. Those who dislike the constant struggle of life in the arctic often travel far from their homes in search of comfort, if not adventure. Occasionally, arctic tribes send emissaries into temperate lands to gather aid against particularly strong enemies or to secure emergency stores during hard times. * General Arctic Racial Trait All arctic races have the following racial trait. * Cold Endurance Members of arctic races have a +4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of cold weather or exposure. Arctic Orcs Arctic orcs are primitive herders, eking out a living on the slopes of volcanic mountains and building their crude huts near hot springs or steam vents. They herd woolly cattle, caribou, and elk. As a result, they control large sources of meat, water, and heat—all things coveted by others living in or traveling through the arctic. What they don't have, they take by force. Arctic orcs stand ever vigilant against attackers and thieves when they're not making preemptive strikes against those foolish enough to settle near their territory. Occasionally an individual orc questions the need for constant battle, or seeks strategies other than brute force. Such iconoclasts often leave their tribes—at least temporarily—to become adventurers. Racial Traits Arctic orcs have the general arctic racial trait described above and all orc racial traits, with additions and exceptions as noted below. * Low-Light Vision: An arctic orc can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. He retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. * No darkvision. * No light sensitivity. * +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal checks: Arctic orcs are herders, and they rely on their skills with animals to keep their tribes fed. Orc Return to Abandoned Category:Races (d20)